Haulage and like system and apparatus



- 1,478,890 L. J. J. B. CHENEAU I HAULAGE AND LIKE SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Filed Feb. 5. 1921 1o Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 25 1923. A -l,478,890

1.. J. J. B. CHENEAU HAULAGE AND LIKE SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Filed Feb. 5, 1921 v 10 Sheets Sheec 2 Dec. 25 1923. A 1,478,890

I J. J. B. CHENEAU HAULAGE AND LIKE SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Filed Feb. 5, 1921 10 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 25, 1923. 1,478,890

L. J. J. B. CHENEAU HAULAGE AND LIKE, SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Filed Feb- 1921 10 Sheets-Sheet 4 mac. 25 1923. 1,478,890

L. J. J. B. CHENEAU v HAULAGE AND LIKE SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Filed Feb. 5. 1921 10 Sheets-Sheet -5 Dec. 25 1923. 1,478,890

L. J. J. B. CHfiNEAU HAULAGE AND LIKE SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Filed Feb. 1921 1o Sheets-Sheet e 7 v fiver ea? Dec. 25 1923. 1,478,890

1.. J. J, B. CHfiNEAU HAULAGE AND LIKE SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Filed Feb. 5. 1921 10 Sheets-Sheet v wry/6% Dec. 25 1923. 1,478,890

L. J. J. B. cHNEAu HAULAGE AND LIKE SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Filed Feb. 5, 1921 10 Sheets-Sheet 8.

Dec. 25;1923. 1,478,890

L. J. J. B. CHENEAU HAULAGE Aim LIKE SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Filed Feb. 5. 1921 10 Sheets-Sheet 9 0 9 w m w 1 s U T m A w .m ED mm H m n g nn I L Dec. 25, 1923.

Filed Feb. 5, 1

10 Sheets-Sheet. 10

' V I mafia! zoyiw 0m Patented Dec. 25, 1923.

umrno rates PArsr orriica.

LOUIS :rosnrr-r Jenn BAPTISTE c nnEAu, or PARIS, FRANCE.

HAULAGE AND LIKE SYSTEM AND APPARATUS.

Application filed February 3, 1921; Serial No.442,198.

To all whom it may mm Be it known that 1, Louis Josnrn JEAN BAPTISTE 'CrriiNnAU, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at Paris, Seine, France,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Haulage and like Systems and Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This inventionrelates to systems and ap-' paratus of the type comprisinga plurality of rotary members wherein a relative movement between all of such members and a part gripped thereby is produced, and relates more particularly to apparatus of the character just mentioned which are primarily adapted for use as tractors upon aerial cables for haulage purpose-s, wherein it is particularly useful, although it is not limited thereto. a e

The general object of the invention is so to construct systems and apparatus of the character just mentioned that they may function more satisfactorily than has hitherto been the case.

According to the invention the gripping members are mounted on pivotal arms provided with toothed sectors which mesh with pinion wheels having arms or the like engaging a movable member operated by means connected to the haulage rope or cable, the toothed sectors and pinions being soarranged and inter-connected that the gripping rollers exert an equalized pressure or' effort on the member gripped, irrespective of the irregularities of thickness of the latter.

The invention also includes various constructional embodiments and arrangements which are preferably used in connection with the principal system or apparatus, and which will be more fully described hereafter.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, It will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying. drawings, but it is to be understood that the description and drawings are merely to so said invention. 1

Fig. 1 of the said drawing is a diagrammatic elevation of a portion of a haulage system comprising an electric tractor run be regarded as examples of carrying out the ning upon an aerial cable, the whole system, and particularly the tractor, being constructed and arranged according to themvention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are both diagrammatic part in vertical section taken on the line AF,

Fig.6, and the line C-D, Fig. 6 1

1 Figs. 5 and 5 illustrate the tractonin a similar manner but in vertical section on the line EF-G-H.IJ of Fig. 6

Figs. 6 and 6 'illustrate said tractor in plan view with the upper casing of .the

framework removed, and

Fig. 7 is a perspective View, partly in section, of themounting forone of the tractor supporting wheels. t In the drawings, which as previously I stated, illustrate the method of applying the system and, apparatus to a haulage installation comprising an electric-tractor running upon an aerial cable a is a cable of suitable construction and section, serving asthe haulage cable and at the same time as a conductor for the return of the electric current. 1

i Z). is a second cable of any suitable construction and section serving as a conductor for Supplying the electric current and carry ing the trolley for picking up the current,

such trolley being denoted by a.

dare standards for the support of the cables at and b, the second cable I) being carried above the first cable a. I I

Means are provided for suitably stretching the said cables and for holding them.

The meansfor carrying the cable may be,

of various descriptions. As indicated at e theyconsist ofattachment devices, adapted to be mounted on the standards cl in such a way as to oscillate or-turn on v the latter to suit the requirements of the cable. Means not shown on thedrawing are addedfor an- ChOIing the two extremities of each of the cables, and when this has been effected the cables are of constant length but variable tension.

Or the supporting means may be of a character suitable for the reception of the cables in such manner that the latter can slide, the supporting means being again attached to the standards (Z. In this case anchoring means maybe provided for attaching one of the extremities of the cable thereto, and stretching means, such for example as a weight, may be provided for the other extremity, so that a suitable pull ma be given from this extremity.

1Z1 other instances both extremities may beprovided with stretching means, such as a weight. I

In these instances when the installation has been set up the cables are at constant tension but vary in length.

The tractor proper is preferably constructed substantially as follows 7 F, f and 7 are four. identical pulleys, each of which is provided with a toothed ring. I

g and g are two toothed wheels engaging these toothed rings his the framework upon which the toothed wheels 9 and g are mounted so that they mesh with one another.

i i t land e are four arms of which 2' and 2' aremounted loosely at one extremity on the axle of the toothed wheel 5/ and .z' and i are mounted loosely on the axle of the toothed wheel g The four pulleys f f2, f and 7' are suitably pivoted on the arms 2' i 2' and i at the extremities of the latter" so that the pulleys f and f engage with the toothed wheel 9 and the pulleys f and f engage with the toothed wheel 7 Each of the arms 71 ,6 71 and 2' is provided with a toothed sector so constructed that, when the arms. are pivotedin position the first and the third sectors are coaxial with the toothed wheel 9 the two others being co-axialwith the toothed wheel 9 j 7' j and W are pinions meshing with the; toothed sectors just mentioned.

Each of these pinions is furnished with a. tail k and are triangular platesof which ia is pivotally mounted upon the axle of the toothed wheel 9 and 76 is mounted on the axle of the toothed wheel 9 The pinions 9' 7'", y' and 3' are pivoted at the other angles of these triangular plates, the arrangement being such that the pinions 7 and j mesh with one another and with the sector in connection with tne arm 2' and that in connection with the arm a; whilst the pinions 3' and j mesh with one another and with a sector of the arm 2' and that of the arm 71 respectively.

.1 is a rod having a channelled collar Z at the middle and a squared portion at each end. m and m" are hollow sleeves working loosely on the rod. n and Mare nuts with oppositely directed threads screwing upon corresponding screw threads at the extremities. of the rod, springs being interposed between the sleeves and the nuts. The rod is mounted in the framework it by means of the said nuts so that it can slide longitudinally and can be rotated about its axis. 'The sleeve'm operates the two first mentioned tails, and the sleeve m operates the other two tails. The nuts are adapted to slide relatively to the framework it but cannot rotate. The springs. tend to keep the rod, the tails and the four pulleys above mentioned in the mid position.

The haulage line 0 is attached directly or indirectly to the collar Z p is an electric motor of any suitable construction mounted upon the framework it, and 32 is a pinion operated by the motor and operating one of the toothed wheels .or g.

and are .two pulleys rotatably mounted on the framework it in such a way that, when the parts are in position, the

tractor is suspended in the desiredmanner on the cable (0, these pulleys engaging thereon and rotating about axes vertical thereto.

Means are provided for supplying the motor 29 with current. In the present instance this is shown as a conductor '7 connected at one end to the trolley c and at the other end to the terminal ofthe motor. This conductor maybe passed over a ten sioning device 5 for. keeping it under a suitable tension.

Devices are also provided for controlling the motor 3?. In some cases this control may be effected by means of the devices or arran ements forming the subject of a patent specification in the name of Couvreux filed in Belgium on 14th May, 1919. In this case the control is obtained from the boat or the like which is being towed by modifying the state of tension of the line itself. The control is preferably effected by sliding the rod Z, suitable devices being interposed between the motor and the rod for effecting the required purposes.

The construction mayadvantageously be such as illustrated in Figs. 4:, 5 and 6 where t is a shaft rotatably mounted in the frame work h, with its axis parallel to those oi the toothed wheels and having keyed to its upper end means of attachment for the extremity of the line 0. It also associated with a two armed lever, one of the arms carrying a fork to co-operating with the collar Z whilst the other arm is connected by linkwork '0 with an, axle w from the extremity of which the control'of the motor is effected.

In the construction just described it is only'necessary to mount the tractor on the cable a, to make the appropriate electrical connections and to attach-the line 0 to a boat orthe liketo betowed by the tractor,

when the system functions in the following manner.

When the line 0 is not under tension, the various parts or the tractor are in the position shown at Figs. 2 and a, the pulleys grip the cable a under the action of the springs interposed between the nuts and the sleeves carried by the rod Z. This action can be increased or diminished by turning the rod Z about'its own axis, by operating one of the squared ends thereof by means of a suit able. tool. Now suppose a pull is ,exerted upon the line 0, for instance by means of a winch or capstan carried on the boat, the

following results are obtained either simultaneously or consecutively, but in the latter case, with a very short interval be tween them.

1. There is a displacement of the rod Z.

from the position indicated in Fig. 2, to that indicated in Fig. 3. The result is in the first place that the corresponding spring is compressed by the nut n and the sleeve m acts upon the tails of the pinions j and 7' and through the intervention of these on the others j and j so that the four pulleys f ,.f ,f and f are caused to grip the cable more tightly. I

Then, when thenutn has compressed the corresponding spring sufficiently there is a direct action on the sleeve m thus directly.

with them the arms 2' and 71 upon which,

they are pivotally mounted. The toothed sectors connected to these arms, tend to turn the pinions j and 7' upon their axes. This turning motion is prevented by the retaining action exerted from the tails co-operating with the sleeves m and they simply.

move back, the tails oscillating about their extremities. Through the intervention of their axles mounted thereon they operate the triangular plates and k which latter are thus caused to be displaced angularly backwards around the axles of the toothed wheels. This is possible although the arms i and '5 cannot oscillate in the same direction sincethe-pulleys f and f are prevented by the cable a from approaching nearer to one another, owing to the fact that the pinions j and j can move along y the sectors carried by the arms 2' and i at the same time movin the sleeve m? backwards by means of their tails thus increasing the compression of the corresponding spring which is only partially stressed.

V A tractor constructed as shown in Figs- 4 to 6 gives particularly good results, and may be reversed if necessary. 7

In some cases it is desirable in addition to the arrangements. just described or to those analogous to them, to adopt supplementary arrangements which are now about to be described, and which may, moreover,

be used independently of those already dc scribed without departing from the general scope of the invention.' 7 Means may beadded for controlling the pulleys, which means comprises a brake adapted to lock the pulleys when the apt paratus is stopped and to be put automati- 'cally out ofaction when the apparatus is This is desirablein the put in motion. I p caseof tractors'mounted on a cable,for

preventing them running down slopes inthe supporting cable when not desired In the case of the apparatus already de.

scribed, the arrangements maybe .such as those indicated in Fig. 4. The brake proper comprises plates 00, constituting a plate or disc clutch, of which the movable part is mounted on the axle of the pinion p and is under the action of a strong spring :0 tending tokeep it in the operativeposition. y

is a helicoidal'controlling or operating de-' vice controlled by the motor. This may be actuated from the shaft 2 of the said motor through a train of gearing. The axle of the pinion p is divided in the neighbourhood of the helicoidal device. in action or starts it pushes the movable member so as to put it out of action as long as the motor remains in motion, but when the motor stops, the movable part drops.

down, this forming the clutch and locking the gear wheel, and consequently the grip ping pulley, against'motion. j I i The rollers 9 and'g may be. so mounted When the motor is that each of them can be displaced angularly" for a" certain distance arounda vertical axis passing through its centre, so that where the cable a which supportsthe tractor curves.

round, the curve can be moreeasily negotiated. I i

This may be effected as shown bywavof example in Figs. 6, 6 and 7. The roller g is, in each case, mounted loosely on its bearing, and apiece Q1 is provided on each side, the twopieces forming with the roller a cylinder with the axis co-inciding with the imaginary axis of the wheel. Each of the said two pieces is prolonged into a part which, when looked'at in plan, is of the shape indicated in the drawing, namely a right prism with a trapezoidal base. By

reason of the obliquity of the lateral faces they can slide horizontally in a corresponding slideway in the part 71 of the framework 11-, and at the end of their course come against the corresponding extremity of the slideway.

The inner portion of each of the corre-, sponding parts if is provided with cylindricalopenings for permitting the said piece to change its'position. 7

As has been previously stated the invention is not limited in any way .to the methods of'ca-rrying it out or to the particular constructional embodiments which have been described in detail but includes all modifications coming within a fair interpretation ofmy claims.

In some cases instead of applying my im-V provements to a tractor, I may apply them' to a device of the winch or capstan type, thus obtaining a system or apparatus in which the gripping pulleys would be the relatively fixed portion of the apparatus whilst the'device to be gripped would be led through thesaidpulley, the necessary constructional modifications being of course provided.

What I claim and desire to secure by Let ters Patent of the United States of America '1. A grip device for cable-tractor systems comprising a motor, a plurality of rotary tractive elements driven thereby, for gripping a cable and travelling relative thereto, and means to impart equalized pressure to said cable through said tra'ctive elements through a range of variations in the thickness of said cable.

2. In a grip device for cable-tractor systems, thecombination of two pairs of rotary pulleys, one pulley of each pair coming on each side of the cable, the said pulleys being provided with toothed rings, a toothed wheel on each side of the central line of the apparatus gearing with the rings of the two pulleys on its own side, the two wheels moreover meshing with one another andione of them being adapted to be driven from a motor, two arms pivoted on the axis of each wheel,"the twoarms on each side carrying the before mentioned pulleys and being provided with'toothed quadrants, a plate on each of the'axles of the said wheels, the plate on each side carrying pinions meshing with oneanother and with the corresponding toothedi sectors, tails tothe said pinions directed towards the middle line of the apparatus and controlling means for the said tails't'or transmitting the haulage strain and regulate ing the pullsubstantially as described.

7 8. In a grip device for cable-tractor systems, the combination of two pairs of rotary pulleys, one pulley of each pair coming on each side of the cable, the said pulleys being provided with toothed rings, a

toothed wheel on :each side of the central of eaehwheel, .the, two arms on each side 7 carrying the aforementioned pulleys and being provided with toothed quadrants, a

plate on each of the axles of said wheels,

the plate on. each side. carrying pinions meshing with one another and with the corresponding toothed sectors, said pinions'bein-g provided with tails, attowing rod, means on said rod for the attachment of a towing line, a pair of spring pressed collars slidablyr arranged upon said rod, said tails engaging in grooves in said collars.

4. In a grip device-for cable-tractor sys' terns, the combination of two pairs of rotary pulleys, one pulley of each pair coming on each side of the cable, the said pulleys being provided with toothed rings, a toothed wheel on each side of the central line oli the apparatus gearing with the rings of the two pulleys on its own side, the two wheels moreover meshing with one another and one of them being adapted to be driven-from a motor, two arms pivoted on the axis of each wheel, the two arms on each side carrying the before mentioned pulleys and being provided with toothed quadrants, a plate on each of the. axles of the said wheels, the plate on each side carrying pinions meshing with one another and with the corresponding toothed sectors, tails to the said pinions directed towards the middle line of the apparatus, controllingmeans for the said tails for transmitting the haulage strain and regulating the pull substantially as described, and means for stopping and starting the motor operated by the tension oi the tractor-cable.

5. In a grip device for cable-tractor systems, the combination of two pairs of rotary pulleys, one pulley of each pair coming on each sideof the cable, the said pulleys being provided with toothed rings, a toothed wheel 'on'each side of the central line of the apparatus gearing with the rings of the two pulleys on its own side, the two wheels moreover meshing with one "another and one of them being adapted to be driven from a motor, two arms pivoted onthe axis of each wheel, the two arms on each'side carrying the before mentioned'pulleys and being provided with toothed quadrants, a plate on each of the axles of the said wheels, the plate on each side carrying pinions meshing with one another and with the corresponding toothed sectors, tails to the said pinions directed towards the middle line of the apparatus, controlling means for the said tails for transmitting the haulage strain and regulating the pull substantially as described, and clutching means for locking the driving pulleys when the motor stops. and freeing them automatically when the motor starts. i

6. In a grip device for cable-tractor systems, the combination of two pairsoof rotary pulleys, one pulley of each pair coming on each side of the cable, the said pulleys being provided with toothed rings. a

toothed Wheel on each side of the central line of the apparatus gearing with the rings of the two pulleys on its own side, the two wheels moreover meshing with one another and one of them being adapted to be driven from a motor, two arms pivoted'on the axis of each wheel, the two arms on each side plate on each of the axles of the said wheels, 7

the plate on each side carrying pinions meshing with one another and with the'corresponding toothed sectors, tails to the, said pinions directed towards the middle line of the apparatus, controlling means for the said tails for transmitting the haulage strain and regulating the pull substantially as described, running wheels for suspending said grip device on the cable and means permitting angular movement of said Wheels about a-vertical axis.

LOUIS JOSEPH JEAN BAPTISTE OHfiNEAU. 

